Lung carcinoma patients with a family history of cancer and lymphocyte primary chromosome 9 aberrations

BACKGROUND Deletion of chromosome 9p has been reported in numerous tumor types. The authors demonstrated in an earlier study that spontaneous chromosome aberrations on chromosome 9 in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) were a significant risk predictor for lung carcinoma. METHODS The current study evaluated the relationship between self-reported family history of cancer and spontaneous chromosome aberrations in the PBLs of 97 previously untreated lung carcinoma patients. The authors' hypothesis was that individuals exhibiting specific chromosome aberrations might have inherited genetic instability and thus be more likely to report a family history of cancer. For each individual, a personal interview was conducted to construct a detailed family history, and 100 metaphases from PBLs were analyzed for spontaneous aberrations by G-banding. RESULTS The patients reported having 829 first-degree relatives, including 74 (8.9%) with cancer. A significantly elevated odds ratio (OR) of 2.7 was noted in smokers for having chromosome 9 aberrations and a first-degree relative with cancer. When the family history of cancer was dichotomized into lung carcinoma or other cancers, the OR associated with chromosomal aberrations was 8.5 for lung carcinoma but only 2.3 for other cancers. In addition to chromosome 9 aberrations, other spontaneous chromosome aberrations and family history of cancer were also evaluated, but no associations were found. There were no associations between age, gender, ethnicity, or smoking status and the chromosome 9 aberration profile. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that chromosome 9 aberrations may be a marker of cancer susceptibility and may be associated with familial aggregation of cancer. Cancer 1997; 79:1527-32. © 1997 American Cancer Society.